I Have No Heart to Give to You
by Mystique Fox
Summary: It's been 20 long years since Sarah left Labyrinth forever, but what happens when a hard-headed, cruel 20 year old girl becomes trapped all because of a dumb book? Jareth sets his sight on her as a battle pursues between foes and himself to gain her love.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Unexpected

Alyce fumbled for her dorm key in her pocket. Feeling a few candy wrappers and a pen tip or two, she decided it wasn't in that one. With a mutter, she yanked her hand out and moved t0o her other pocket, dropping a spiral notebook she held tight against her chest in the process. Her friends had encouraged her about a billion times to get a purse, but that was never going to happen. The girly lifestyle just didn't suit her. She dug around in the new pocket for some time until she heard the sweet relief of metal clanking against metal. Bingo. She whipped them out and inserted them into the door, turning it a few times until an audible click was heard. She sighed and bent over to get her notebook, pausing when she thought she heard music and laughter coming from inside.

"Fantastic," she muttered, knowing exactly what was going on. She yanked the door open and strutted in, glancing upon the familiar party scene. Groups of guys and girls huddled together, chatting away with huge smiles and equally large plastic cups in hand.

"Emily, I'm going to kill you," Alyce declared, furrowing her brows and walking immediately to the kitchen. Her brown hair whipped around her face as she walked a walking storm of just bad attitude. Others stepped out of her path, getting a feeling that something bad was about to go down.

Alyce spotted her target by the sink, talking to some guy in a black t-shirt. He wasn't at all bad looking, but it's not like Alyce cared right now.

"Emily, what the hell is this?" Alyce shouted her words intense and demanding. Emily turned her head to her name, looking at Alyce fearfully.

Her face softened, "Hey, hey, I didn't think you would show up," Emily smiled.

Alyce's face remained hard and stubborn. "I thought I told you no parties," she hissed, "remember what happened last time?"

"Aw, but that was just a month ago, no biggie," Emily grinned with a wave of her hands, "you've got to learn to chill, relax some."

"Do I look relaxed to you?" Alyce yelled, snatching the cup out of Emily's hands, "I want these people out of out dorm _now._"

Emily stuck her lip out; letting her green somberly eyes tear up a little. "Oh come on Aly, the fun just started." Emily pouted, giving her a sad glance, "I promise we'll keep it down."

Alyce shook her head. She hated noise. "No, no, NO!" She yelled once more, "I want everyone out, NOW!" Her voice was firm without screaming, and immediately people began to shuffle out. Groans erupted from the various guests as their fun had been officially terminated.

Emily apologized over and over to the people leaving. After all were gone, she immediately stormed back over to Alyce, who was now at her piano.

"What the hell was that for?" Emily shouted, slamming down the piano's cover.

"Hey!" Alyce yelled, "do you know how much it costs to replace a lid for this thing?" She wasn't in the mood to be disturbed, she had to practice and Emily was just being a drama queen as usual.

"This isn't about your dumb piano, Alyce!" She screeched, "you ruined my party! And I have like ten cases of booze left, what the hell am I going to do with that?"

"Drink it, I suppose," Alyce shrugged, tapping out a few notes. She made no eye contact with Emily, and quite frankly, she just wanted her to leave. "I told you before, I said no parties. The dorm crew has a fit about them, you know that."

Emily rolled her eyes, "It's not like we're doing anything illegal, the only person under 21 is you and you don't drink."

Alyce sighed. "It's not that, I can't play my piano when people are busy making out on it. Do you have any idea how gross that is?"

Emily couldn't help but snicker, but she could tell by the look Alyce gave her she was being totally serious.

"Sorry about you _precious_ piano," Emily responded in a very sarcastic tone, "you know, this is why your only friend is me. You don't talk, you don't mingle, and you pretty much just lie under a rock all day. The only reason that we're probably friends is because you're my roommate."

Alyce stopped playing for a moment to think about what she just said. It's true if Emily wasn't her roommate they would probably never had been friends. The fact made her think about the life she currently lived, and for the first time in her life she felt the curtain of loneliness start to fall on her world.

"Alyce, I often wonder if we were ever friends to begin with." Emily's voice was quiet, and her usual bubbly demeanor faded away as she looked towards the floor. "We both went to this college in New York to chase out dreams. We want to live the big life as entertainers, but it's just our dreams that bring us together. At least, just the mechanics of them."

Alyce stopped her playing all together and took the time to look up at Emily. Her blue eyes glanced over her friend who was but a shell of her former self she had seen a few seconds ago. "Emily…you can't believe that's all true," she answered softly, "we get along so well, that has to tell you something."

Emily glanced up to look at her. "Yeah, but _why_ do we get along?" She asked, "That's what I can't figure out. I mean, you wear so much black people think you're a Goth. I'm not even that type. You know, blue's your color, and you never wear it.

Alyce glance down at her own clothes. She agreed with the always wearing black comment, she just wasn't a fan of color. Emily's first statement didn't move her in the least. "I don't know, does it really even matter?" She asked dryly.

Emily straightened up. "Yes, it does." With that she turned around and walked out of the room.

Alyce rested a hand on her head and sighed. She screwed things up. Thoughts filled her head as she thought things over about her and Emily, about the relationship they have, or rather, had. Emily was annoying and a little too happy most of the time. She had nothing against happy people, but Emily never shut up and had nothing of importance to say most of the time. Why did this matter to her anyway? You know what, she didn't care anymore. Emily could throw her fit and she wouldn't even look at her. At least things might be a little quieter around here.

Emily returned after a couple of minutes, but this time carrying a rather large book. "Here, I found this and thought of you," Emily shrugged, handing the musty book over to Alice.

Alyce took it with a quizzical expression, turning it over in her hands. The blue leather was faded and worn down in many places. The pages were yellowed with age and the spine had seen more battery than any other book Alyce had seen. The only thing that remained perfect and intact was the gold lettering on the cover that read "Labyrinth".

"Gee, thanks," she declared sarcastically, "you never know when you'll need scrap paper I suppose." What was she going to do with a big doorstop anyway? Sure she liked books, but this thing was more trouble than what it was worth.

Emily scrunched her face, folding her arms across her chest. "Is that how you treat me after I went through all that trouble to get that for you?"

"You found it on the ground, didn't you?" Alyce stated more than she asked.

"It looked pretty alright to me!" Emily protested, "Look at the pictures and the writing! It's really pretty, trust me!"

Alyce let out a long, drawn out sigh. She wanted nothing to do with it right now. Emily had a good heart, but sometimes she just wished she would keep it to herself. "I'll pass," she decided, setting the book onto the bench beside her.

"Wow, you _are_ a terrible person," Emily declared, "You can't even pretend to care about it just to make me feel happy?"

"Honesty is my best quality," Alyce grinned sadistically. She didn't like lying, well rather, she preferred telling the truth. Some people called it being 'brutally honest' and Alyce didn't care.

"More like your worst," Emily rolled her eyes, turning around to leave, "if you need me I'll be in the kitchen." She left quietly to Alyce's surprise, but something about that disturbed her.

Alyce stood up, picking up the book as well. "I'll do her a favor and read the damn thing," she decided, taking off towards her room. She threw herself onto the bed and rested the book on her lap. She opened it, sending a large cloud of undisturbed dust into the air. She coughed and shooed away the particles with one hand. "This thing must be ancient," she decided, looking at the page once the dust cleared.

She was met with beautiful calligraphic writing and drawings that almost seemed lifelike. It reminded her of an old-fashioned fairy tale she read when she was little. Maybe this could be interesting. She shrugged and began to read.

The things she read about weren't like an average fairy tale with princes and knights. There were goblins, a giant maze, and not to mention a Goblin King (who to her looked like an 80's rock star in the illustrations). She was beyond fascinated with this world, and with the girl named Sarah who was trapped in it.

After a while, she had reached the end, and was met with a surprise when she turned the next page- it was blank. Puzzled, she turned the next and was met with yet another, and to her dismay the remainder of the pages in the book were all blank.

"What story has no ending?" Alyce huffed, tossing the ancient book onto the floor, "lame." She sat back in her bed with a sigh, bringing her hands so they were under her head. She tried to shake the book out of her head, but no matter how much she tried it always came back to mind. "It's just a dumb book, stop thinking about it," she ordered herself, shutting her eyes. She began to drift off to sleep and little did she know, the musty, old book began to glow softly.

O-O

Hey, Mysti here :3 Thanks for deciding to read this first, long chapter! It took me a while to come up with a Labyrinth concept that would work for me.

The first issue I ran into was Sarah; I was NEVER a huge fan of her. So right then, I decided this wasn't going to be a continuation of the movie with Sarah. So, I'd like to introduce you to Alyce.

As you all might know, Alyce is a very stubborn and head-strong person who lets very little things bug her. She's 20 years old and goes to a college in New York. (I won't say anymore b/c you can decide the rest for yourself ;)

Anywhoo, just so you can get an idea of what these people look like, here are some references from other websites (please remove all spacing XD):

Alyce: http:/ mimg. ugo. com/ 200811/ 15974/ britt-koth. jpg

Emily: http:/ m1s-uv. co. uk/ gallery/ 841/ 1024x768/ tanisha-mukherjee. jpg

Thanks! Please comment (I'm an addict O.o)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Welcome to Labyrinth

Alyce's mind began to come back as she slowly woke up. She began to sit up and was met with an achy pain in her back. She grimaced at the feeling it brought and forced herself up.

Did I fall asleep on the couch again?" She asked herself, finally opening her eyes. To her surprise, she was met with bright, outdoors light. She shut them once more in pain, struggling back. After a minute, she decided to open them once more.

Her eyes adjusted a little faster this time, but she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Alyce was surrounded by large, stone walls; the ground she sat on was made of the same material. "No way," she stated with disbelief, standing onto her feet. She looked around for any other scenery, but it was the same thing in every direction. She took a step forward and took in her new environments sounds. They were calls made my neither man or beast, growls and whistles, just about anything you could imagine.

"Where am I?" She asked herself, walking ahead a little more. She looked down at her clothes, she was still wearing the exact something she had fallen asleep in; a black, slim-fit tee and some baggy jeans that were her older sisters. Wait, that was it. This was all just a dream. She sighed with relief and looked around once more. Since it was just a dream, she might as well enjoy it.

With a whole new attitude, she began to walk around, turning a corner in hopes that she could find a different change of scenery. She was very disappointed when she was met with the same exact thing, with the exception of a random, dead tree amongst the walls. It was like she was in a maze. No, more like an-

Alyce smiled when she remembered the book. "Oh, I get. Since I fell asleep thinking about the dumb book, I must be having a dream about it." That had to be it. Now that she knew she was inside of her own dream-world Labyrinth, she might as well explore it.

She began turning random corners, curious to see what would come next. She picked up the pace, her face lit-up with pure joy as she discovered something new. She rounded another corner and was met with a wall.

She fell back from the impact, clutching her nose. "Damn-it," she muttered, taking her hand away. Red was smeared across her hand and she realized it hurt just like it would in reality. Usually when and if she ever got hurt in one of her dreams, no pain accompanied it. She wiped the blood onto her pants and stood up, attempting to stop the bleeding as best as she could. Well, maybe this was a different sort of dream, and there was always a time to try something new. Unless, or course, this wasn't a dream at all.  
"This can't be reality," Alyce reassured herself, "I don't recall there ever being a labyrinth anywhere near me." She concluded it was just a strange, strange dream.

She started off again with a new found vigor, eager to explore and learn more about this place. The similarities to the story she had read were uncanny, same labyrinth and even the same feeling she got from reading it. She couldn't identify the exact feeling, but it was like a mixture between calmness and an unshakable feeling of fear. Not only that, but it was as if someone was watching her.

O-O

Jareth held his crystal out in front of him, watching the image of a girl in it intently. A goblin had informed him of a strange being in his realm, and he had to investigate. He knew instantly it was a human, but how had she gotten here without him summoning her? This was indeed a puzzle, and something he intended to solve.

He leaned back in his chair, resting a hand on his chin. No one had entered Labyrinth since Sarah. He closed his eyes and struggled to find the piece of his memory that kept her, that haunted him. He recalled her face, her voice, and her personality. He clenched his fist not holding the orb and gritted his teeth. With Sarah brought rage and a feeling of rejection.

The goblins watched him puzzlingly, wondering why their king had turned so bitter within seconds. It had been a long time since the last human girl had defeated him, and his power was as strong as ever. They talked among themselves in hushed tones.

"Uh-oh, this ain't good," one muttered.

"Not at all, I've never seen Jareth this angry in years," another cackled.

Jareth opened his eyes and sent a glare to the whispering Goblins. "I think you've neglected that I can hear you," he hissed, "I'm _not_ angry at all." The Goblins immediately shut their mouths tightly and kept quiet, returning to their previous tomfoolery.

Jareth closed his eyes once more and sighed. Maybe he was. No, he was more depressed and angry. This girl would be the same as Sarah, wanting to go home and defeat him as well. They were all the same, humans were all the same.

The Goblin's clamoring came to an abrupt halt as footsteps echoed into the throne room. Jareth lifted his head slowly, keeping his crystal orb with the image of Alyce safely in his grasp. Out of the dark shadows of the hall stepped a man, but not just any man, a man Jareth knew very well.

Denvar was an arrogant man, you could tell by just looking at him. Not only was he arrogant, but extremely handsome and cunning. His stringy black hair hung in his face, covering up a black scar that crossed his left eye. He almost always had a black, lipstick-covered grin on his face, one that would draw suspicion from its gazers instantaneously. He always wore black, no matter what.

"Jareth, how nice to see you," Denvar greeted with his usual cheery demeanor, "of course, it's no surprise. You're always in that boring throne aren't you?"

Jareth's response to him was a cold, hard stare. After a few moments of taking in the scene, he took a deep sigh and said, "Denvar, I wish I could say the same. At least I have a throne to sit in." Jareth grinned from his remark, and then glared at the Goblins. "Well laugh," he demanded, and the Goblins immediately began to cackle.

"Oh Jareth, what has this place done to you?" Denvar shook his head sympathetically, "I pity these poor creatures." He then leaned down to one small Goblin and lifted its chin up with his finger. It looked at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to do or think. "Having to deal with you all day must be torture."

Jareth's jaw clenched and the hand around the orb began to close in on it. "Why aren't you in the human realm?" He asked.

Denvar rose back up and offered Jareth a smirk. "Oh, eager for me to leave are we?" He chuckled, "is that any way to treat your own brother?" He folded his arms across his chest and gazed at Jareth, waiting for a response.

Jareth tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne. He didn't know how to address him anymore, he was too arrogant and difficult to consult. It was true, Denvar was Jareth's older brother, but they never got along. Denvar never seemed to agree with him, and he always wanted whatever Jareth received. He was bothersome, and that's all Jareth thought of him.

"No, of course not," Jareth shrugged, straightening up in his chair. His mood seemed to lift a little, but that usually meant he was up to something. "Honestly, I was curious to where you had gone. Tell me, is the human world all you had wished it to be?" Jareth's mouth crept into a grin as he leaned forward, eager to hear what Denvar had to offer. He figured if he could get Denvar to talk long enough, he might grow bored and just leave.

Denvar let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Oh you have _no_ idea;" Denvar started overdramatically, "their world is positively…boring." He elaborated on the boring part and began to sit down on a ledge across from Jareth, leaving goblins scrambling to get out of the way. "First off, their jobs don't make any sense at all. There are farmers, but barely anywhere. They even have jobs to manage their currency. Who needs that? It's stupid, really." Denvar sighed and glanced around.

"You don't say," Jareth commented enthusiastically, "then how is Labyrinth any better?" He leaned forward, unaware his still held the orb.

"Oh, for one I have lovely company like y-" Denvar stopped in mid sentence when he spotted the girl in Jareth's orb. "Who's that?" He questioned, standing from his spot and looking over the orb carefully.

Jareth had completely forgotten about the orb and before he could make it disappear, Denvar had snatched it from his grasp.

"Hey! Give that back!" Jareth protested, making a grab for the precious ball.

Denvar kept it away, looking at the girl who seemed to prance around the Labyrinth as if it were some sort of game. "A human girl?" He questioned, his sapphire eyes widening with awe and surprise, "why have you brought her here, Jareth?"

Jareth's eyes narrowed as he strutted angrily towards Denvar. "That's just it, I didn't," he snarled, ripping the orb from his grasp.

Denvar looked off towards the ground, his face seeming blank for a moment. He straightened up and turned his head to face Jareth. "Oh? Are you sure about that?" He asked, intrigued with the situation.

"Positive," Jareth answered through clenched teeth. He looked at the girl once more in his orb, taking in the smile on her face and her flowing brown hair behind her. His eyes softened from the sight and something reawaked within him.

Denvar noticed the change and grinned. "I knew it, this is like that last girl," he began to laugh, "you've gone flapping your wings in the human realm and spotted this little beauty, then brought her hear so she can fall in love with you. You're a sad case Jareth, always falling in love with those who want nothing to do with you."

Jareth stared emptily into the orb, seeing Sarah this time as he had left her. An empty sorrow began to overwhelm him as he felt rejection, and then Denvar's words came crawling back, replacing the sorrow with rage.

"I was never in love with her!" He shouted, whipping around at Denvar, "and I'm certainly not in love with this one either!" His sharp teeth bore at his brother, like a wolf snapping at a pup. Yet, Denvar stood with that same smirk on his face, not afraid.

"Oh, I see," he shrugged, turning on his heel and walking the opposite way, "you're not in love because you simply have no heart." He stopped and turned his head to look at Jareth. "Even if you did, she would never want its shriveled remains."

Jareth snapped. He hurled the orb at Denvar in a fit of rage, wanting to harm him as much as possible. Denvar caught it within millimeters of his face.

"Looks like I've struck the right cord," Denvar cackled, looking over the orb in his hand, "you're no match for me dear brother, remember." He pointed his finger into the air and waved it side to side. "I always told mother you had a temper and she never believed me."

Jareth's heavy breathing returned to normal as he relaxed. "You bring out the worst in me," he answered calmly, "and since I don't care to fight here, I suggest you leave now."

The goblins watched the scene in silent fascination. Anything that got his majesty upset was always worth watching.

Very well," Denvar shrugged without a care. Jareth was surprised by his willingness and cooperation, but something wasn't right. And surely, his instincts had been correct.

"I'm going to go…chat with this new girl," Denvar declared with a sly grin, "and perhaps…she may fall in love with me." With that, he had disappeared into thin air, the goblins ooing and awing at the sight.

"No!" Jareth protested, stamping his foot. He couldn't let Denvar get to her first, but it was no use now. He strode back over to his throne and sat down, crossing one leg over another and resting a hand on his chin. "What to do…" He sighed rather depressingly. His mind wandered to the girl and he began to imagine what she would be like. He had to get his hands on her, but how? He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, hair tossing back in a flourish. He would make her his and he would destroy his brother in the process.

He grinned form the thought of killing his brother and sat up. "Good news my goblins," he announced, "we're going to be playing a new game with my brother."

The goblins cheered in response and Jareth immediately hushed them with one hand. "And the prize will be a new companion for the castle." His sharp teeth shined with a cruel laugh that erupted from his throat, and for the first time in 20 years, he was in a much better mood.

O-O

Oh hai! It's Mysti here again! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to read this, it honestly means a lot!

First off, let's discuss Denvar :D I basically wanted a hot goth dude incorporated into this fic (as if Jareth wasn't enough XD) but not only that I felt like this fanfiction would be much too dry if it were just Jareth and mah charrie (and the goblins).

Denvar is a happy goth as I like to say. He especially loves getting on Jareth's nerves.

Here's the reference pic to him: http:/ media. photobucket. com/ image/ goth%20guy/ TragicTracy/ gothicassmall. jpg

So, that's that ^^

Ooooooooh! Did I mention this was going to be a musical fanfiction? (No it doesn't pop off the page and do a little song in dance…I wish it did).

But, there will be your fave charries singing modern songs! I won't give away too much, but they do consist of Amy Lee and the wonderful band AFI.

Hehehehehehehehehehe, the songs will commence with the coming of the next chapter.

Thanks again! Pleeeeeeease comment! I love responses and take advice from them!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Decisions

Alyce could finally admit that she was enjoying herself. Every corner she turned in the Labyrinth led to a new discovery. So far she had found some plants with eyes, a few locked doors, and multiple strange-looking trees. New York didn't offer this sort of thrill, at least, not in reality.

It seemed surreal looking around, not once had she felt endangered. Her smile was bright and her blue eyes shined. That was, until she ran into something a bit unexpected.

A black haired man adorned in black clothing blocked her path, his presence immediately leaked danger to Alyce. She took a step back, but didn't let her fear show. She held her head eyes and looked over him from top to bottom. His smile unnerved her; it was the sort that was distrustful.

"May I help you?" She challenged, folding her arms under her chest. She doubted she might be able to intimidate him, but she could at least try.

Denvar was a little taken back from her immediate attitude- what a rude girl. He furrowed his brows and looked her over from head to toe, seemingly pleased with what he saw.

"Ooh, a defiant one, I see," he smiled, taking a step towards her, "I like that." Alyce moved back, wanting to keep a certain distance between her and this random Goth guy.

"Who are you?" She demanded, "And what do you want?"

Denvar smiled, closing his eyes in a pleasant manner. "Denvar," he answered smoothly, taking a few steps closer to her, "as if why I'm here, I believe that's obvious."

Alyce stepped back as he approached her, noticing the hungry look in his eyes. This situation was getting bad, fast. She looked around and saw many possible escape routes, but would it be safe to run? Denvar had appeared out of nowhere and she was positive he would find her if she ran.

"You're here because of me? But why?" Alyce asked, a little puzzled and wary of his actions.

Denvar grinned, "I already told you why I'm here, and you clearly haven't listened."

He neared her faster and faster, and every time he did she stepped back. She took another step and jumped as her back hit a wall. A gasp escaped her throat and her head turned to face the harasser who was now within inches of her.

"Ooh, you're not as brave as I thought you'd be," he cackled, placing a hand on the wall beside her, "you now realize who has more power." Denvar let his face get within centimeters of hers and he whispered, "And there's nothing you can do about it."

Alyce looked over his face, her breathing uneven and scathed. Her mind blanked as she thought of what she could possibly do in order to escape. He was going to hurt her and there was nothing she could do about it. She shut her eyes and waited for the pain to commence.

He chuckled when he saw her eyes shut. That was half of the job, but it wasn't fear that he wanted, it was desire. He backed away from her with a small laugh. "Just as I expected from a human girl, pathetic."

Alyce opened her eyes and glared at him. "What is your problem?" She shouted, stepping away from the wall. She expected a nasty response from him, but surprisingly he remained calm.

"Do you have any idea who I am, or where you are?" He asked softly. His eyes were intriguing and strange, and there was no overlooking the black scar that trailed down his cheek.

"No…I don't," she admitted, looking off towards the ground, "well, at least I know this is Labyrinth, like in the book." She answered confidently and looked back up at him.

"A book? What book?" Denvar inquired, his face twisting with puzzlement. "There is no book."

Alyce furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? Of course there is, my friend gave me one." She insisted this time walking towards Denvar, "it wall called Labyrinth, and there were goblins and a Goblin King named Jareth."  
His jaw tightened when he heard his brother's voice. So she had heard of him already? Denvar was curious to what this book was, and it clearly existed because she had learned his brother's name. "Jareth, you say?" Denvar grinned, "I suppose it doesn't mention Denvar, does it?"

"No," Alyce answered, her voice quieting down, "it never mentions you…" she thought about it and never recalled seeing this man in there and that scared her. Who exactly was he and why was he bothering her?

Denvar stuck out his lip and began to pout. "Oh, so my little brother is in there but not me? How rude."

Alyce's eyes widened when she heard this bit of information. He was the Goblin King's older brother? She looked him over and didn't see a resemblance at all. "You don't look anything like him," Alyce shrugged without interest.

His demeanor changed with but a simple scowl. "You mean he doesn't look anything like _me_."

She smiled when she realized there was abit of relationship troubles between them and decided to play on that. "Well, it is a shame you don't look like him," she grinned, "I mean, Jareth is much more _handsome._"

His teeth clenched together and in a flash he had Alyce up against the wall again. "Handsome is he? Well your views on him will soon change when you see what he's really like." His eyes seemed to glow like stars as they darted over her face, looking for any signs of weakness. He sensed her uneasiness and smiled once more.

Alyce's breathing soon quickened once more with wide eyes, certain things were about to get much hairier. She was pleasantly surprised when he backed off and brushed off his leather jacket. "Oh, but who says you will meet him," he shrugged.

Alyce tilted her head to the side, calming down once more. A part of her wanted to meet him, yet the other told her to just wake up already. "I'm guessing I won't," she decided, taking a step to the side and in a circular motion, "I mean, this is just a dream and I'll wake up any moment now."

Denvar looked up at her, eyes brightening with new found information. She thought this was just a dream, did she? His grin widened when pieces began to fall into place. That explained her playful demeanor while exploring the labyrinth and also her boldness in pursuing him. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is no dream," Denvar announced, "you're in the world of Labyrinth, a terrifying realm of horrors and loneliness."

He stepped towards her again, this time looking at her upper lip. He reached out and held it in his hands, observing the dried blood on it. "Tch, tch, you've gone and hurt yourself, poor dear," he cooed as Alyce pushed him away.

"Get off me," she demanded, wiping her lip off.

Denvar simply grinned. "Don't you see you stupid girl? If you hurt yourself in a dream, you'll wake up. Sort of like…pinching yourself." He explained with a flourish of his hands. "But you haven't woken up, have you?" He hoped she would realize, for that would only make her desire to escape more. That led to him making deals, and oh how he loved making them.

Sylvia looked away in denial, but somehow she knew he was telling the truth. In a dream she wouldn't bleed or feel pain. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what she was doing the last time she was in her room, but nothing seemed to cross her mind. Her mind began to race as she struggled for answers to multiple questions, but for once there were no solutions.

Denvar noticed she was in a dilemma state, and approached her calmly, beginning to sing:

"Oh, before you came what was your name?" He placed a hand on her shoulder as she looked up at him with confused eyes, "did you look like me?" To her surprise, she immediately saw her face in Denvar's. She backed off out of fear.

"No one's from here, no one, my dear," Denvar smiled, holding his arms out and backing off, "not even the trees." He pointed to the trees and laughed as they seemed to twist around.

Alyce shook her head and backed away, only to meet a wall as she had before.

"So change your name, just keep your face," Denvar sang and approached her, placing a hand on her cheek, "we're temporary anyway. Before you came we played this game, in a masquerade."

Alyce shook off his grasp and began to take off, vaguely remembering a masquerade in the book. Had he been a part of the crowd in Jareth's illusion?

"Flash, flash, car crash, we're no fixtures," Denvar appeared in front of her, a smile on his face, "quick now, quick, take our picture. Flash, flash, car crash, we're no fixtures, whoa."

Alyce turned the opposite direction and ran once more, desperate to escape him. She turned her head away from Denvar and looked in front of her, halting to see him again.

"What was your past, when was the last time that you recall someone you knew was someone who asked nothing of you?" Denvar leaned forward and furrowed his brows, asking these questions to her seriously.

Alyce looked away and honestly couldn't remember anymore. What was happening to her?

Denvar placed a hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes, that same smirk on his face. "So lose your past, and change your name, it's in the way, all the time." He looked off, moving his hand to her waist. In a flourish of his hands, he revealed a scene of her friend Emily at a party, having fun without her.

Alyce winced from the scene and watched it closely with wide eyes. She was always having fun without her, and she immediately felt lonely.

In a wave of his hand, he made it vanish. He looked at her once more as she looked back at him. "Before you're through you're someone who looks a lot like you." He smiled and backed away from her, vanishing once more.

Alyce struggled to find him again, and soon spotted him perched on one of the labyrinth walls. "Flash, flash, car crash, we're no fixtures," he sang brilliantly, standing up, "quick now, quick, take our picture."

He vanished once more, and this time Alyce caught him as he appeared sitting in a tree. "Flash, flash, car crash, we're no fixtures. Whoa."

Alyce watched as he hopped down from it and strode towards her. "We can't, we can't remember the seasons. We can't in the man-made snow. We can't, can't recall our feelings." He placed a hand on Alyce's shoulder and she immediately looked away, ashamed.

He looked at her sorrowfully, "We cannot show." He violently placed his other hand on her shoulder and tightened his grip, his face hardening to anger. "Flash, flash, car crash, we're no fixtures. Quick now, quick, take our picture."

Alyce's head began to fill with memories of her real world, not of Labyrinth. Things made sense now, this wasn't a dream at all. Denvar's singing continued as her memories flashed, and when his song faded away, the memories did too.

"Believe me now?" He asked with a grin, "this is no dream, Alyce."

Alyce's face was blank when she looked away, but slowly things began to make sense. She looked at Denvar with frightened eyes. "How do you know my name?" She asked, backing away from him, "I have to get out of here…"

"I'm afraid you can't," Denvar announced, "Once you're in, there are few ways out. And Alyce, I know everything about you." He had been able to get a hold of a few precious memories of hers, and therefore learn even more about her.

"Then what are the few ways?" Alyce asked her voice on edge of trembling, "I have to leave…"

Denvar laughed with amusement. "And what makes you think I'm going to tell you?" He smirked, walking towards her, "I don't just give things away, I require…deals and trades."

Alyce could see the greed in his face. She took a deep breath and decided she was going to have to be strong in order to get what she wanted. "Then maybe Jareth will tell me."

Denvar's eyes became slits with the mention of Jareth again. "Oh enough about him, no one cares about Jareth," he snarled, storming off so he was in front of Alyce again. "Besides, he would never tell you anyway, that's just the way he is."

Alyce searched his eyes, realizing he was being truthful. By reading the story, she already knew Jareth was selfish and cruel. It was unlikely he would be any help in this matter. "Then there has to be someone who will help me," she stated confidently, turning to walk off, "there just has to be."

Denvar sighed with annoyance, stepping so he was in front of her once more. "Wait," he asked her, and Alyce stopped. "This place is more dangerous than it appears, especially for just a mere human." He placed a hand on her should and spoke to her deeply, "think this over before you decided going off, I can take you somewhere where you'd be much safer."

Alyce looked him over and decided. She moved her shoulder so his hand wasn't on it and straightened up. "Anywhere is better than being around you." She stated with a smirk, "now move so I can get going."

Denvar frowned and felt a little anger well up inside of him. He felt like hitting her, but restrained himself as he smiled in response.

"Very well," he shrugged, stepping out of her way, "but don't say I didn't warn you."

Alyce stepped forward, looking at him once more. Was she making the right decision or just dooming herself? "Don't worry, I won't."

Denvar laughed at her overconfidence. "Good luck then." With that, he vanished as he had been doing, leaving Alyce alone in the Labyrinth.

O—O

Hey ppls! I'm trying new dividers, so just maybe they'll show up…I'm still not sure….

So, what did u think about the song sequence? Trust me, it sounds a whole lot better when u listen to it :3 It's called "I Am Trying Very hard To Be Here" by A.F.I

I thought it fit this chapter very well, and seeing Denvar sing it makes me happy.

So, what are your thoughts on Denvar? Love him or hate him?

Pleeeease comment! Thanks ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Misgivings

For the first time since Alyce had arrived here, she truly felt alone. Denvar's words haunted her with every footstep. She remembered everything and had the epiphany that this wasn't a dream and even worse, it wasn't even a nightmare. She tossed her hair to the side, regretting not taking a hair-band with her to bed. It was hard enough trying to navigate the labyrinth, let alone doing it with hair in her face.

Her head wandered aimlessly towards the sky beyond the tops of the walls. She had never seen a sky quite like it before. Alyce couldn't tell whether it was cloudy or clear as day, for it was the color of a deep, red earth. This place was the most confusing thing she had ever seen and couldn't wait to find her way out, that was, if she could.

She stopped at this new idea. How exactly was she going to get out? She stared blankly ahead, wondering why she was even still walking through it. She decided it was better to explore than to stay in one place and rot. She wasn't some Cinderella waiting for her prince charming to come and save her, she was Alyce, and she was independent. A smug grin crossed her lips as she bounded confidently off with a newfound sense of arrogance.

It wasn't until she had turned a few corners that she had run into something new. Now, it wasn't as exciting or nerve-wracking as Denvar had been, but it did freak her out just a little. Before her was a stout little creature, a little heavy in areas and a large nose protruding from a wrinkled face. He wore ratty, loose clothing that hung over his stubby arms and legs, and looked as if he were trying to catch something with a rather sad-looking net. The creature didn't seem to see or hear Alyce approach and went off mumbling to himself.

"Awful little insects…" He huffed, swishing his net around rather violently, "filthy things…"

Alyce raised an eyebrow, watching as he attempted to catch butterflies, or at least that's what she made them out to be. After a few moments of watching this pathetic creature miss about a dozen bugs, Alyce cleared her throat.

"Excuse me," She said, but the way she said it was anything but polite.

The creature jumped and turned around suddenly, looking her over with wide eyes.

"Sarah?" He spoke, squinting his eyes a bit.

Alyce rolled her eyes and huffed, recalling the girl in the book. How dare he call her a naïve little child who actually wished she could be here?

"No, I'm Alyce," she growled firmly, folding her arms across her chest, "not Sarah."

The creature's eyes dimmed a little upon her words and he furrowed his brow. "Oh," he said with a throaty tone, "I suppose you're right, Sarah was much nicer."

Alyce narrowed her eyes at him, not pleased with his answer at all. She watched as he went about his business with trying to catch butterflies, and suddenly recalled a name.

"Hoggle," she spoke softly, "you're Hoggle…the thing that helped Sarah."

Upon hearing his name, Hoggle wobbled back around and looked at Alyce puzzlingly. "How do you know about Sarah?" He looked down upon his shoes, then looked back up at her, his brows furrowing. "And I am certainly not a thing!"

Alyce chuckled slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Oh, I know things," she decided, leaving out the part about the book.

Hoggle didn't seem pleased at all with her answer, and merely huffed. "Well it don't matter anyhow," he snorted, turning around and waddling off in the opposite direction of Alyce, "she's gone, and she ain't comin' back."

Alyce could have sworn she had heard the pitiful creature sniffle back some tears, and felt a stab of pity somewhere.

"Well," she started, "maybe she's not, but I could sure use some…assistance with getting back to my world." It killed her to be nice to this thing, but she really did need some kind of guidance.

Hoggle stopped briefly and rubbed a ragged hand over his nose, turning just slightly to Alyce. "No one ever leaves this place, not one." His voice was sad, but rude and scruffy nonetheless. This made Alyce a little agitated, so she snapped.

"Sarah left didn't she?" She shouted, startling Hoggle, "she met this 'Jareth' guy and he let her go home."

Hoggle winced at the sound of Jareth's name, recalling horrid and sad memories of him. "Ha," he spat defiantly, "Jareth never lets anyone out, she defeated him."

"Then that's just what I'll do," Alyce straightened herself out with an arrogant tone, "so take me to him."

Hoggle narrowed his eyes. "Find Jareth? Fttt," he snorted with a laugh, "you don't find Jareth, Jareth finds you."

Alyce narrowed her eyes at his mockery and tone overall. She took a couple of steps towards him, bring her arms to her side. "Look here;" she growled through gritted teeth, "I'm not here to play games. I want to go home…now."

Hoggle stood his ground and narrowed his eyes. "Maybe if you say 'please' once in awhile I could help," Hoggle told her, "but I don't help girls with an attitude that matches that of Jareth's."

Alyce was a little taken back by Hoggle's defiance to her, and relaxed slightly.

"Fine…let's start over," she sighed, holding out a hand, "I'm Alyce, and I need help getting home…please." Her voice flexuated slightly with the uttering of a kind word, but she managed to sound almost genuine.

Hoggle smiled, but looked at her hand hesitantly. He took it and shook it roughly. "And you already know me, so let's get going."

Alyce followed him with hesitantly as he led her along the maze. She wasn't sure if she could fully trust him, but she did put it in one perspective; if they ever ran into some bloodthirsty beast, she could toss him into the fray as bait, plain and simple.

"Now I hafta' wave ya," Hoggle started, "there's no tellin' how far I'll be able to lead ya, so don't me mad if I up and leave ya all of a sudden." His words sounded true, which made Alyce very uneasy at the moment.

"Fine with me, just as long as I get to where I'm going," Alyce nodded gratefully.

The new pair bounded along slowly, being watched by some familiar eyes, but this time, they were much closer.

Jareth stood leaning against the labyrinth wall behind the too, watching as Alyce walked off with no other than Hoggle.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance," he snorted, standing back up and taking a few steps in the direction they had gone. He figured she would find Hoggle eventually, but certainly not this early…as Sarah had.

Jareth closed his eyes and thought things over; at least one good thing came out of this. He had learned her name, and not a common name he heard every day.

"Alyce," he spoke, the name rolling off his tongue velvety and smooth. He looked up and watched her leave, almost intoxicated. He walked towards her, knowing the invisibility charm he had cast would last for awhile. He didn't want to make his presence known quite yet.

He observed how her brown hair bounced up and down as she walked, her ivory skin glowing in the light. She was indeed beautifully, and couldn't help but feel enthralled by her presence. As he walked up beside her against a wall, he began to sing in that rock-style manner he was so well known for.

"I come quietly, silent entity can lack a certain wait when unseen," he approached them, his face getting eerily close to Alyce's, as if he were speaking to her, "Do they speak of me? My voice left in the breeze that whispered 'you should flee or you shall be seen.'" With that he stepped away from her, watching as Alyce failed to notice his presence. Longingly, he looked at her, falling back to stride behind them once more.

"I'd die, if you only met my eyes before you pass by. Will you pause to break my heart? I'd die, if you only met my eyes before you pass by… Will you pause to break my heart?" He stopped in hopes she would too, if she could see him. But, to his dismay, she kept walking, chatting to Hoggle.

He furrowed his brow and ran up to them once more, this time appearing in front of them. "I am everywhere, everywhere but here. For here is where you grace, the nameless." He stopped as they both simply walked through him, not even hesitating slightly. Her turned around with saddened eyes, and emotionally sang, "Were I not so weak? Could I even speak? I'd warn that you should leave, before you're seen with me…"

He walked back over to them and stayed along the wall, "I'd die, if you only met my eyes before you pass by…will you pause to break my heart? I'd die, if you only met my eyes before you pass by. Will you pause to break my heart, will you pause to break my heart," he stopped and stood on a wall across from them, looking directly into Alyce's eyes. For a brief moment, hers met his and his heart nearly skipped a beat. "Will you pause?"

Indeed, she did pause, and hesitatingly looked at Hoggle. "I feel like I'm being…watched," she shivered slightly, looking back at the empty wall.

Hoggle looked over the wall top to bottom. "Well there is that creepy eyeball moss everywhere," he shrugged, "so something's always watchin' ya here, you just don't know what is."

Alyce shook her head and continued walking along with him, putting the feeling behind her. She looked back at the wall for once last time, feeling a certain draw to it.

Jareth watched as Alyce turned around one last time and looked at him, wondering if she had in fact saw him. But one thing was certain, he did have to make his present shown, and it would certainly be soon.

O-O

Heya! It's me again, sorry for such a late chapter ^^ This one was particularly long due to the fact I had to squeeze in Hoggle someplace…not fun XD

So, I love the song I used in this, "Too Shy to Scream" but AFI, because I could totally see Jareth singing this XD

So, what do you think? Any questions or concerns? Ask away! I love comments so please do! Au revoir~


End file.
